The Mercenaries
by Devil Boss
Summary: What if Solid and Liquid Snake met before Shadow Moses? In 1996, one year after Big Boss' first fall, the Twin Snakes are sent on a deadly mission, both of them unaware the other has been sent as well.
1. Hidden Snakes

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of the Metal Gear character or the Metal Gear franchise. They belong to Hideo Kojima, Kojima Productions and Konami studios.

**Author Notes:** I've got the idea of a Metal Gear fic a while from now. I wanted to write about a space of time that almost no one has written about, and that is the time Snake worked as a mercenary after the fall of Outer Heaven in 1995. That means that this fic takes place after Big Boss's first fall, when Solid Snake became a legend.

Liquid Snake's doings during this time are unknown as well, so I realized that a story between the two brothers could be written without messing with the timeline. So here's the final product.

This is kind of a prologue, so don't expect raging action for now. Still, it does have some classic sneaking in it. Chapter Two is halfway written, so it won't be long before I post that one as well.

Reviews will be greatly appreciated.

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**The Mercenaries**

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**Chapter 1:**** Hidden Snakes**

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08/08/96

Twin Lakes, Alaska

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Those who walk trough Alaska have a strange feeling, like if they were lost travellers that suddenly find themselves in an unknown world lost in vastness and quietness while hearing the wind roar trough the trees and over the calm, cold waters.

With the ground covered by snow, the sky a light grey and the trees cold and dull, the calmness around Twin Lakes in Alaska was absolute, unaltered.

But not for long. Because a figure could be distinguished now, outlined in the cold wind. It was a sled pulled by six huskies, a Siberian breed of dogs closely related to grey wolves. There was a tall man on the sled, totally masked by thick scarves, winter jackets and a thick hat. Guided by the man, the huskies pulled the sled trough the trees, showing some signs of fatigue already. But they were close to destiny. A house could be seen now, lost in trees and snow.

The man got down of the sled and untied the dogs. The dogs seemed happy, though a bit tired as well. They looked at the man with respect and fondness. The man treated them with care in turn, untying them and scratching their ears while doing so. Taking off his hat and his thick scarf, the man tiredly walked to his small and lonely house placed amongst the trees. He had a young yet hardened stubbled face, with a mane of brown hair and grey blue eyes; deep clear eyes, yet very fast and attentive as well, almost resembling those of an animal.

One big female husky barked loudly. The man turned to look at her in silence, and then turned again to watch the house. The husky barked again while the man walked towards the house, more careful now. The husky kept barking.

"Quiet," the man ordered lowly. He had a harsh grave voice, which compelled to obey without arguments.

The husky complied, lowering her body and keeping her ears backwards.

You could think that the man had left that condition to become an animal, so tense his body was, so full of energy and instinct. He stood next to the back door of the house and opened the least minimum to be able to see something with one of his eyes. He then rushed in with impressive fastness, and yet not making a noise. Rolling aside, the man hid behind a cupboard, part of a modest kitchen. His eyes moved in haste, watching his surroundings with extreme caution. A few moments of silence pass, and then he jumped aside and moved trough one door that led to a small bedroom. There was a nightstand next to the man's bed, in which there was a Mk23 .45 caliber with some clips at the sides. Loading the gun in milliseconds, the man pointed to the door at the other side of the room, which led to a living room. But stealth wasn't needed after all.

There was a man in front of him, in excellent physical condition with blond hair and sunglasses.

"You are a hard man to find, Snake"

"...Master?"

.

They were sitting at one small wooden table in the living room. The blond man, called Master McDonnell Miller was observing the room with interest, a small smile plastered in his lips, while Snake watched him intently. Nevertheless, both men seemed to have an air of confidence, like if they were old friends.

"You have a nice place here, Snake" Master pointed with a smile "Alaska sits you well"

"I bought this house with the money I got from my last mission," Snake grunted with a frown "My last employer wasn't as cheap as FOXHOUND"

"I'm not surprised you got well paid... the legendary Solid Snake. I'm sure anyone would pay a lot for your services"

"Say it to FOXHOUND"

"So you are now a hireling? You fight for the highest bidder?"

"Yeah. I've never liked the CIA's system, it was too... stiff," Snake said while lighting up a cigarette. Extending his hand, he offered the cigs box to Master, who declined with a hand gesture.

"I'm trying to quit," pointed Master.

A brief silence followed while Snake took a drag of his cigarette. Master watched him in silence and then asked:

"Why did you leave FOXHOUND, Snake? We would've been glad to have you in the unit. Campbell was thinking about naming you Commander the day he retires"

"I wanted to get out of there," Snake admitted with a frown after some time in silence "I don't want to follow Big Boss' steps..."

"So that's why you've been trying to abandon the CQC technique..." Master said, thinking aloud.

"I haven't found a replacement so far" Snake admitted with a grunt.

"And why did you decide to come to a place this far? I can tell you it was a hard job to find you"

"Precisely"

Another brief silence followed Snake's words. He was not the kind of men that tended to speak a lot, and Master was one of the very few persons that could ask him so many questions without him getting pissed.

"I see... Have you had any assassinations attempts lately?" Master asked, leaning forwards.

"Two. Near the quarters of FOXHOUND, a couple of guys that survived Outer Heaven and wanted to avenge the death of Big Boss. And a professional killer that thought he could kill me with a knife in a bar"

"And that's why you have sheltered here?" To hide from the assassins after you?"

"From them and the CIA. The closest thing to this house is the Igloo village, with fifteen people. It's unlikely that I'll come across an assassin in the streets"

Snake finished his cigarette and watched Master with calculating eyes.

"Why did you come here, Master? We're far from Langley. How did you find me?"

"Believe me, it wasn't easy. We looked with one of our satellites, and I decided to come because I lived in Alaska for a long time myself"

"I remember. In Fairbanks, nearing Emmonak"

"Exactly" Master said, impressed with Snake's memory. Straightening himself, Master decided to get to the point "Truth is, I came because we have a mission for you, Snake"

"I don't care about the CIA's missions, or FOXHOUND's. I left that behind me"

"You won't be returning to active duty," Master countered calmly. He knew that Snake could be touchy about certain subjects; talking carelessly about the CIA in his presence wasn't a good idea "You said that you are now a mercenary; then we say so be it. The CIA has plenty of money, Snake. And this mission requires a highly trained operative"

"What about FOXHOUND? You could send Gray Fox or some other member of the Unit"

"FOXHOUND is going trough some rough adjustments right now," Master explained, not missing Snake's surprised eyes at the information "Many operatives are leaving the unit after Big Boss' death, and Roy Campbell is trying to rebuild it from zero in order to avoid a close resemblance with Big Boss' time. Gray Fox left the unit a few weeks ago, and as of now no one knows about his whereabouts; our newest agents aren't fit for this mission. It has to be you, Snake"

"FOXHOUND can't deal with this mission, huh?" pointed Snake "It must be one hell of a job"

"Indeed it is. We are very worried," Master said "Will you accept then, Snake? If you do it, the payment is a seven digits number"

Snake sat silent for a while, staring off into space. Master said nothing, as he knew that he had to be patient when dealing with his old friend.

"So what exactly is this wonderful mission?"

Master smiled. Snake asking for details could only mean that he had accepted the job.

"We had a security breach a few days ago. Amur Tiger, one of FOXHOUND's oldest members, defected taking some very valuable information from our labs with himself"

"Tiger? That Russian old guy?"

"The very same," Master confirmed "I've been told that you didn't get to know him that much, Snake. Am I right?"

"Not much," Snake nodded "He used to go in very long missions, and he was never in Headquarters. He didn't look much of a talker anyway"

"That's something he shares with you," Master said with a slight smile. He then procured a few pictures of a man in his sixties wearing only military pants and sporting a large knife at his waist "That's Amur Tiger. He was a member of the KGB in the fifties until being charged with treason in 1962. He apparently disagreed with Kruschev's government and wanted to install Brezhnev in his place along with the extremist faction of the Red Army, but he was discovered and condemned to die in Siberia, which was a common punishment for traitors back then. They left them in the middle of nowhere, almost completely naked and with a knife as their only weapon"

Master pointed the knife Amur Tiger displayed in the pictures.

"No one knows how, but he made it out of Siberia. His file says that he managed to kill an Amur Tiger or Siberian Tiger and used the animal's skin to avoid freezing to death, hence his codename. He then abandoned the USSR and managed to sneak past the Iron Curtain, which is an incredible feat in itself. He has lived in the US since then, cooperating with our intelligence services and the CIA. He joined FOXHOUND in 1983 and became one of the deadliest members of the Unit since then, having always completed every assignment he was given. He was the best of the Unit, save for Big Boss, Gray Fox and then you, Snake"

There was silence after Master's debriefing. Snake stared off into space, his eyes having an off look, as if he were thinking about past things and experiences. Master said nothing, respecting his friend's silence.

"So what does the CIA plan to do now? What do you want me to do?"

"You have to kill Amur Tiger and recover the data he stole"

"Data, huh. So what is that data?" Snake said, used to the CIA secretiveness. He wouldn't be surprised if the 'data' was nothing else than some very dangerous experimental weapon "What did Amur Tiger steal from FOXHOUND and the CIA, and how am I going to do to find it?"

"Concerning the data itself, I know as much as you do, Snake" Master pointed "I know, though, that it is recorded on an optic disc Tiger has. And as how to find it, it shouldn't be hard. Tiger has installed a facility in Yucatán, Mexico. He has hired a small mercenary army, so it is a heavily guarded place, and we know that he has an underground lab in there. And he is using some political contacts with the Mexican government for them to turn a blind eye on him, so we have no political support from there. I'm afraid this is far too dirty of a mission for the CIA to be directly involved, so you'll be on your own, with no backup from our part. The best would be that you assassinate Amur Tiger in silence. You'll have to sneak in that base to find him and get the data. But you don't have to worry Snake, I will be your commanding officer during the entire mission, and I'll guide you via codec to get the optic disc"

"Just like old time," Snake smirked. Being a former member of FOXHOUND got him used to this kind of missions, in which he could not count with anything but himself in the field.

"Precisely," Master confirmed with a slight smile "This time, though, you can bring your own elements to the battlefield; you can bring anything as long as it doesn't belong to the US government"

Snake said nothing, lighting another cigarette.

* * *

Two Days Later

08/10/96

Peninsula de Yucatán

2100 Hs.

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The weather was horrible. It wasn't rain, it was an outright downpour. And that was even worse considering the place Snake was in. A small fisher boat that could only hope to keep steady in the agitated seas and get close enough to the shore in order to let Snake swim to the beach.

Snake was smoking a cigarette, wearing a heavy coat as shield against the rain. But in any case, that couldn't have much of a point in a few minutes, due to his infiltration route. Master had said that the rain would help him to conceal himself better, but to Snake that only meant a sure chance of catching a cold in the middle of a mission. The prospect was really unappealing to him.

"Todo listo, señor" the captain of the small ship said in Spanish. Snake turned to look at him in silence, making the man flinch under his intense gaze. But Snake gave him a reassuring nod and threw his cigarette away, the small cylinder shaped object disappearing in the blink of an eye. Snake walked to the side of the ship, looking at the water. At least the rain wasn't as heavy as before.

"Ready to go, Snake?" Master asked trough the codec.

"Yeah"

"If everything goes right, you'll be able to finish this mission before midnight," Maser said gravely "But if anything goes wrong, the US government and the CIA will deny everything about this mission. Don't forget, you are acting as a mercenary and a freelancer. You are no longer involved with us"

The coat flew in the night, Snake readying himself for the mission. He was wearing a dark green camouflage uniform and his trademark bandana. There was a Beretta M9 tranquilizer pistol in his left hip, as well as a SOCOM Mk 23 45. Caliber pistol holstered in his right thigh. There was one last gun tied to his right leg, nearing the ankle. It was the experimental prototype of a pistol made to fire piercing bullets, the FiveSeveN. The last item of Snake's equipment was his CQC knife. Even if Snake did want to leave that combat system behind him, he still hadn't been able to find another way to deal with close encounters with the same degree of speed and dexterity.

"Time to get wet, Snake. May God be with you!"

Snake jumped off the boat and dove into the cold sea. The water was very cold, but Snake found himself comfortable with that. Having lived in Alaska for more than a year did have its perks after all. Snake went to the surface and took a deep breath, trying to get some pointers as to where to swim. He almost couldn't see the boat a few meters at his side, much less the shore. The storm made everything harder. But Snake's senses were incredibly tuned, and it didn't take long for him to learn which way to go. That done, he started swimming.

Any normal person would have drowned in the sea with all the weight Snake was carrying with him. But Snake was not normal in the slightest. He had been training and performing the most demanding physical exercises in the entire world for years, his FOXHOUND training sharpening his body to limits that neared the impossible. FOXHOUND had prepared him to cope with every kind of adverse scenarios, whether those scenarios were enemies, drugs, intelligence, the weather or anything else. So he was now swimming with cold precision, the same way he carried out his missions, advancing fast and steadily, not bothering to feel tired in the slightest. He arrived to the shore in a matter of minutes.

"Snake," Master voice said trough the codec "It's unlikely that the beach will be guarded, but you should proceed with caution anyway"

Snake didn't need Master's warning. Stealth came as an instinct to him. He put on a balaclava - he was a mercenary now, and since he no longer had the CIA's protection he couldn't afford to be recognized - and took out his Beretta M9, attaching a silencer to it. He then moved without making any noise, and so he got to the trees near the beach. There was a small forest in front of him. Hidden in some bushes, Snake took a look at his surroundings. One quick glance was enough to learn that there were no enemies in sight, as well as to see a small path between the trees, and finally all the clearings in the forest. Snake moved quickly trough the trees and bushes, avoiding the pathway and all places where some light was cast on. No one could have noticed he was there at all. The downpour became little else than thin rain.

It didn't take long before Snake sighted a fence that marked the complex's limits. According to the intelligence gathered by the CIA, Amur Tiger installations consisted in a military base with barracks, some hangars and an underground lab. The place wasn't very big, but it wasn't little as well. There was approximately one and a half mile from one point of the camp to the other, the place guarded by armed sentries and several wooden towers. The barracks and hangars were in the middle of the camp.

There was a sentry patrolling near the fence, outside the complex. Snake hid in the shadows, letting the guard walk past him. He then approached the unaware man and put him in a headlock until he passed out. Snake then hid the body in some bushes before regarding the fence in front of him. It was a wooden fence reaching almost twelve feet in height, and it had barbwire at the top. There were trees only on the outside side of the fence; the other side was plain, cleared purposefully to see any spy getting past the camp's boundaries.

"Snake," Master said trough the codec "According to our satellite images, there is an entrance to the camp about 650 feet to the north. It is heavily guarded though. I don't think you'll be able to sneak in easily from there"

"So that leaves jumping this fence or looking for another entrance then," Snake muttered, again hidden in the shadows.

"There are two entrances to the camp, one on the eastern side and the other on the west" Master briefed "The western entrance is exactly at the other side of the base, and is as heavily guarded as the eastern. You'll have to go trough the fence, I'd say"

Snake gave out a small grunt and grabbed the unconscious guard's jacket. His plan was simple: he would climb the fence and use the jacket to create a small space to pass trough the barbwire. But he had to time it right: there were two surveillance towers ahead, one of them sixty feet to the north and the other three hundred feet to the south. Snake watched the guard placed on the northern tower with calm precision.

Now. Climbing the fence like a shadow, Snake used the guard's jacket and got past the barbwire. He then grabbed the jacket as to not leave any trait of his presence and jumped to the ground, landing quietly. He was crouching in the shadows by the time the sentry in the tower looked his way.

"Master, I've infiltrated the complex," Snake said, getting out a pair of binoculars. He could see a little better now, as the rain had finally subsided "There are several barracks and three larger hangars to the north. But there is something else. There's a tower to the northwest, about a mile from here. It's standing on a small hill, and it's surrounded by a tall wall"

"Amur Tiger must be there," Master said thoughtfully "But for now you must focus on the optic disc he stole. The hangars you see aren't really hangars, but concealed labs that go underground. It must be there that Tiger keeps his research facilities, so that's where he'll keep the stolen data. Go to the hangars, Snake"

Snake moved stealthily trough the base, using the shadows as his cover. The hangars were north from his position, the barracks standing in his path. Snake moved swiftly between the structures, expertly avoiding all guards and using all the blind spots in surveillance he could find. He was nearing the hangars now. He moved silently by the side of one of the barracks, taking advantage of the lack of light in there.

But one sentry was coming his way. Snake hid behind some crates and waited for the man to reach his position. He then grabbed the guard and again used a simple headlock to cut all blood from reaching his brain, rendering him unconscious. Snake then hid the body in a dark spot at the side of the crates.

The hangars were displayed in line, from east to west. Snake decided to try with the eastern one first, as it was the closest from were he stood.

Several jeeps were near the entrance, as well as five guards patrolling the place. Snake detected a blind spot in the guards patrol. One of them walked too far away, and his companions wouldn't see him for a few seconds. Knowing that, Snake readied his Beretta M9. The guard drop unconscious to the floor a few seconds later, a tranq. dart in his neck.

The hangar had a grand door, but Snake decided against using that path. It was too exposed. So he opted to use a small door at the side of the structure, a door left unguarded after the sentry being taken out moments before.

Snake picked the lock - luckily it wasn't an electronic door - and entered the building.

A corridor with lockers at the sides was what he found. Snake walked in a few steps, looking for surveillance cameras. There were none.

The sound of footsteps before him alerted Snake of the coming of two sentries. Not hesitating - as doing that would mean death in the battlefield - Snake hid inside one of the lockers. The guards walked past him and got out of the hangar. Snake got out of the locker and moved further into the building. He walked trough the corridor, ignoring the doors at the sides and getting to the main space inside the hangar.

The sight at the end of the corridor stunned him.

"What the hell," Snake muttered "Master... this look like a genetic laboratory..."

* * *

Three Days earlier

Somewhere in Iran

08/05/96

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The chopper spread sand everywhere when landing in the desert, near the borders of Iraq. There was only the harsh sun as element of nature there, since the rocks and land around where completely deserted.

Or so it would seem. Because two armed figures appeared from nowhere as soon as a middle aged man came out of the chopper. The two camouflaged soldiers pointed their guns at the intruder, who raised his hands in turn. The man didn't seem fazed by the soldiers' attitude, calmly walking towards them with his hands in the air. He let them revise him for weapons. He had none.

"Identify yourself," one of the soldiers grunted.

"I'm Richard Ames;" the man said clearly, his voice calm "I'm here to see the Jackal"

The soldiers exchanged a look before positioning themselves at the sides of Ames, leading him trough the rocks. Soon, an expertly concealed hideout was revealed to Ames, as the soldiers led him trough a few dirty corridors, taking him deeper into their hideout and not caring about the surprised looks other soldiers in the place had.

They were in front of a wooden door in a matter of seconds. One of the soldiers knocked, getting a muffled 'come in' as a response. That said, the trio passed trough the door, entering a small dirty room with a table and a few chairs as the only furniture.

The soldiers sprang up to attention, saluting the occupant of the room. Ames did nothing.

"At ease," said a calm voice with a strong British accent. The soldiers relaxed, and the man walked to the trio.

He was a tall man with a mane of blonde hair and incredibly blue eyes. He was wearing combat boots, camouflage pants and a sleeveless shirt in his torso. Standing straight, it was clear that this man was in peak physical condition, as he was young but in his prime already. He had a tattoo on his left arm, which resembled the Rod of Asclepius, but with a sword in its place. The man stood in front of the trio and calmly eyed Ames.

"Dismissed" he said curtly to the soldiers. His subordinates left, leaving Ames and the man face to face.

"So, the Jackal was you after all," Ames said then, giving the blonde man a small smile.

"Just another meaningless name," Jackal said with a smirk, his British accent giving his words a tone of sarcasm and confidence. He then sat in one of the chairs facing the door, gesturing Ames to take the chair in front of him. Ames complied eyeing the room. One of the walls had several weapons, from handguns to assault and sniper rifles. One of them caught Ames eyes.

"So, that's your customized McMillan Tac-50, the Mk15," Ames said, eyeing the modern sniper rifle attentively "It was with that rifle that you managed that kill in Beirut?"

"Yes," Jackal said, calmly relaxed in his chair. Yet his eyes followed Ames' every move with almost animal-like attention "From about 2161 meters"

"And you did it without a spotter?" Ames asked, receiving a smirk in response. Shaking his head, Ames smiled "Impressive. You really have inherited your father's genes"

"But the old man is dead," Jackal said coldly, sporting a frown on his face "Killed last year by my dear brother"

"Solid Snake's success surprised many of us," Ames said, receiving a cold look from Jackal "To tell you the truth, no one believed he would succeed, not after Gray Fox's disappearance"

"FOXHOUND seems to be getting rusty," Jackal snarled "If the best operative is caught right after infiltrating enemy territory and a rookie manages to destroy the entire place"

"Solid Snake has long left the rookie state," Ames countered calmly.

Jackal said nothing. There was silence for a few seconds.

"To business then," Ames said, getting a few papers out of his jacket "It seems that your doings as a mercenary had caught the CIA's eye. Since you have established your own death squad here, the CIA thinks that you could do a job for us"

"Assassination?"

"Not only that," Ames responded "This will be a very complex mission, if you take it. But if you do, the reward is a seven digits number"

"The CIA can't deal with someone and they hire some mercenary to do the job?" Jackal snarled "You are no warriors. You, you are politicians"

"I won't deny that," Ames said "But this isn't your average job. A few days ago, one of the last members of FOXHOUND went rogue. He was one of the most experienced members of the unit, having been hired by Big Boss himself about fifteen years ago. His name is Amur Tiger, and he comes from Siberia. Very few men alive would stand a chance against him in combat"

"Looks like you'll have to completely revise your special forces," Jackal said "I've heard of this Amur Tiger before. Wasn't he a supporter of Brezhnev during the Cold War?"

"Yes, he was" Ames said, noticing a cardboard box in the corner of the room. Silently wondering why was that in there, he moved on "But he was captured by the KGB and tortured for weeks. He was finally thrown to Siberia only wearing some pants and with a knife as his only weapon. It was what the KGB did to traitors, in order to let them die from cold and starvation in the middle of nowhere. But he survived and made it to the other side of the Iron Curtain"

"And now he has betrayed the CIA?" Jackal asked with a smirk "It is true what they say about spies, they are only loyal to themselves"

"Jackal," Ames said then "Right now you are amongst the deadliest men and women alive. Word of your killings has made it all over the world, and your fighting skills are on par to the best members of FOXHOUND in the entire history of the unit. You are the most suited man for this task"

"And why don't you use FOXHOUND then?" Jackal asked with a sarcastic tone "I'm sure many of your recruits are dying to do this mission. You could even call Solid Snake himself"

"We do not know the extension of Amur Tiger's betrayal," Ames said "He could have friends in FOXHOUND, and even if that weren't the case the members of FOXHOUND are not the best the Unit has seen. The Unit is going to be completely rebuilt by Roy Campbell in a few months, but this is a more pressing matter. And as for Solid Snake, we weren't able to find him after he retired from duty"

"So I'm your best choice, huh" Jackal said "But you said that there was more to this mission than simple assassination. What is it?"

"I cannot tell you unless you agree to do this," Ames said "I take it you will accept this mission?" receiving a nod in response, Ames moved on "Amur Tiger stole some very valuable data from us during his escape. An optic disk containing very delicate information on one of the CIA's projects. We want you to recover that disk as well"

Jackal eyed some of the pictures on Amur Tiger that Ames had handed him. He said nothing for a while.

"One more thing," Ames said then "We cannot allow Amur Tiger's death be tracked to us, so you'll be using a new codename, one that no one has used before" Jackal raised his head, simply looking at Ames with unblinking eyes "Your codename for this mission will be Liquid Snake"

.

**Author Notes 2: **that's it with Chapter One. It's basically a prologue: we get a picture of the situation and we learn about the villain. Amur Tiger is not a part of the Metal Gear franchise, though. It's a character I created in order to give the Snakes a worthy opponent.

Some small details: Liquid says that he made a kill from 2161 meters with his rifle. The longest shot record at the time was 2260 meters approximately, so Liquid's kill would rank as the second longest shot in history. Considering his genes as one of Big Boss' clones, it is very likely for someone like Liquid to be adept at almost every kind of weaponry, Sniper fire being one of them.

Solid Snake and Master Miller were friends, Snake saying once that he would share a trench with Master, so I tried to picture that friendship in the casual way they talk to one another.

Chapter 2 will deal with Liquid's side of the story, and to how he gets into this large mission. There is one big question unanswered, and that is why the CIA decided to send the twin snakes on the same mission without telling the other. The answer will come in future chapters.

So, stay tuned and please leave reviews. Tell me what you think of this. Next chapter should be ready in a couple of weeks.

Devil Boss


	2. Survival of the Fittest

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of the Metal Gear character or the Metal Gear franchise. They belong to Hideo Kojima, Kojima Productions and Konami studios.

**Author Notes:** Finally I update this story, after several months of inactivity. I apologize for the delay. My Internet connection went haywire for some time and I had a bit of writer's block, which kept me from posting new chapters here; I was busy revising my first fic, a crossover between Metal Gear and Evangelion, which actually took some time as well. But still, I managed to complete this chapter and write about the next ones, so I hope you can forgive my tardiness and enjoy this chapter.

Many, many thanks to those of you who reviewed. I'm really glad you liked the first chapter. This one deals with Liquid's doings, as well as continuing with Solid and his side of the mission. There's a lot of action here; I hope that is of your liking.

Reviews will be greatly appreciated.

**The Mercenaries**

**Chapter 2: Survival of the Fittest**

**Peninsula de Yucatan**

**8/10/96**

**2100 Hs.**

The rain was really getting in Liquid's nerves. Having spent the past six years in the desert left him unused to rain, and this was a downpour that thoroughly soaked him. It wasn't a combat hindrance to him, as he was an expert in all types of environments and warfare, but that didn't mean that the cursed rain didn't bother him.

Liquid checked his equipment. He always did that before venturing into dangerous grounds. He was carrying a Desert Eagle 50. Caliber, one very powerful handgun, as well as one SOCOM Mk23, a handgun he had come to appreciate during his time as captain of the SAS, and finally a Glock 18, an automatic handgun that allowed him to fire bursts of bullets in a mater of seconds, which in his hands became the messengers of death. He had thought about bringing his McMillan Tac-50, his modified sniper rifle, but finally decided against the idea. He didn't know what kind of things he would have to do to get in the base, and bringing such a large weapon could be more of a hindrance than assistance. Last but not least, he had two knives with him; both made to meet his tastes. They were excellent for CQC - one very useful combat style he had learned in the SAS, a style that his own father had created - and they also worked as throwing daggers.

He was close now. The camp Amur Tiger had set was fairly big - one and a half miles from one end to another, according to the briefing Richard Ames had given him - but it was actually well guarded. Tiger had hired good mercenaries, Liquid thought. They were fairly competent, if they could guard a place this big without any grave surveillance mistakes.

He had finally arrived. The western entrance to the complex. It consisted of one steel gate, surrounded by cameras and surveillance towers. There were several sentries at the sides, and all of them had the others in sight, which made taking them out difficult. The place was very well guarded, Liquid thought.

But that wasn't enough to stop him. He had devised a way to get inside.

A small convoy was coming to the entrance, made of several jeeps and three trucks which Liquid supposed carried supplies. Seeing his chance, Liquid crawled in the shadows, getting closer to the supply trucks. The rain - bothersome as it was - actually helped him to conceal himself better, as the night was dark and the downpour made visibility even worse. Worse for any regular soldier, but not him. He had incredibly tuned senses, and something else that was just priceless in the battlefield. He had instinct. Very few soldiers were actually able to rely on their instinct alone and get to the end of the day. Liquid was one of them. Maybe that was one of the things he got for being a copy of the greatest warrior who ever lived.

Liquid went to the last truck and hid behind some bushes near the road. There was a guard coming this way, intent on checking the truck for any spies. While the idea in itself was good, the guard just came and checked the truck before getting back to the entrance of the base, giving Liquid ample time to get into the truck after he left. The back of the truck was filled with boxes, which served as a perfect hideout for Liquid.

The convoy got the authorization to move and the engines of the jeeps and trucks sprang to life, getting past the entrance to the camp. Liquid couldn't help but feel amazed at the stupidity of the guards that had let him in so easily. There were amateurs even in the best units, he thought. But those thoughts were not important now. The convoy had entered the base, now going for the three grand hangars that Liquid had spotted earlier during his reconnaissance of the camp. He could hear the voices of the guards as they entered the base. The truck stopped at the side of the western hangar, Liquid supposed, as they haven't passed any other structure in their way. And the distance they seemed to have covered - about 450 feet - made his guess look more accurate.

Now the driver had gotten out of the truck, going to the back in order to unpack the boxes which Liquid supposed contained supplies and maybe weapons. But said boxes also served as a hideout for the Snake, and after drawing his CQC knife and his Mk 23 he was ready for action.

The driver got on the back of the truck, ready to lift a heavy box and carry it out. Hidden in a dark corner, Liquid took his chance. He quickly got behind the guard's back and slit his throat with his knife while keeping his other hand over the man's mouth, as to not let him emit any sound. The guard died in his arms. Liquid slowly lowered him to the ground before making a decision.

All the guards had the same uniform. A dark green military camouflage uniform, a hooded green jacket and a balaclava. They also carried an AK-47 assault rifle with them, as well as a sidearm that Liquid recognized as a Glock 17. Luck was on his side as to that handgun, as his own Glock 18 looked almost the same and he didn't want to trade it for any other weapon. So, making his decision, Liquid quickly undressed the guard's corpse and donned the camp's uniform, grabbing the AK as well.

He hid the corpse in one heavy box and then lifted another, getting out of the truck and carrying it to the side of the western hangar, where he could see the other drivers leaving their own packages. One of the closest sentries looked in his direction and Liquid gave him a curt nod. The guard nodded back and looked the other way.

Flawless.

While he could have used more of a solid approach on his infiltration, Liquid was a master at slipping past enemy lines using the most unconventional methods. He could have jumped the fence or killed all the guards at the entrance, but he preferred this. The driver he had killed wouldn't be found in a while, and by that time he would have already completed this mission. And even if he still hadn't done so when someone found the corpse, there was still no way for them to track the kill to him. He would be in other place of the complex by then.

The guards' watch was focused on the supply trucks, leaving him unsupervised. Liquid quickly got into the western hangar, walking trough the grand front door with calmness. He had to appear calm, as no one knew he was a spy after all.

There were some jeeps at the front, but Liquid realized that was a mere façade. The real deal would be in the back, in the big room inside the building. Whatever Amur Tiger had stolen would probably be in the back of the hangars.

Liquid walked trough some corridors keeping his cool façade with ease. Hell, he was even enjoying this game in some level. Moving past some sentries that didn't even suspect him, Liquid got to the centre of the building. And he stopped in surprise.

There was a laboratory in front of him. But, unlike what Liquid was expecting, this was some sort of genetic or biologic laboratory. It almost reminded him of those facilities making research on the Human Genome.

**In some underground facility in Langley**

**8/10/96**

**2115 Hs.**

Richard Ames entered the dark room and took a sit at the side of one big table. Sitting on the other side, a dark skinned man gave him a brief nod as welcome. Both of them sat in silence for some time, Ames not wanting to speak first and the other man taking his time to do so. It was clear which one was in charge between them.

"So, Mister Ames," the dark man spoke at last "How are our Snakes progressing so far?"

"Better than expected," Ames said "So far they performance would put them on par with Big Boss himself, although Liquid's approach is far more unorthodox. Nevertheless, he has infiltrated the complex even faster than Solid did, and we all thought that someone surpassing Solid Snake was simply impossible, not after Outer Heaven last year," Ames fell silent for some time before adding something as an afterthought "No doubt the Les Enfant Terrible project has paid off just fine, Mister Anderson."

"That will be up to me to decide," The dark skinned man, Anderson, said seriously "As you know, the La Li Lu Le Lo are quite interested in seeing the twin Snakes in battle. I take it they don't know about the other's presence in the complex?"

"They don't have a clue," Ames confirmed "We'll see which one of them manages to complete the mission first."

"I would have never thought someone could attempt to match Big Boss," Anderson said thoughtfully, as if recalling past experiences "But that thought was dashed by Solid Snake last year. We'll see if the twin Snakes are worthy of being America's future leaders just as their father was."

**Peninsula de Yucatan**

**8/10/96**

**2120 Hs.**

**Inside the Western Hangar**

The lab was full of scientists and soldiers guarding the entrances. Liquid observed his surroundings carefully and found that the soldiers inside wore the same uniform he had. That was good, since it took care of some of his problems. Now, what he had to do was find the missing Optic Disc. The more he looked, the more convinced he was that the Disc wasn't here. If Amur Tiger had stolen it right from the CIA and the CIA wanted it back so badly that they didn't even trust FOXHOUND for the mission, then it had to be extremely valuable and its information should be priceless. It took extremely advanced computers to work with such secret material. While the place was outfitted with computers and advanced machinery, Liquid didn't spot any sort of supercomputers or anything like Hood Gene Sequencers, which were necessary for genetic research. That pointed that this floor was merely for minor research and perhaps testing. The Disc should be somewhere else. Liquid was starting to think about looking inside the main hangar when he spotted an elevator.

'So, there are underground levels to this base,' he thought with a smirk. This made things more interesting, as well as giving him an answer to his dilemma. He was sure the Optic Disc was on the lower levels of the complex. He would go underground and look there; should he not find anything he would snatch some scientist and interrogate him until he got his answers.

Liquid walked calmly towards the elevator. There were two guards at the entrance, but he paid no mind to them. While it was possible that he would need clearance to enter, he didn't have the time to stop and try to snatch a card or get a password. He would try to get in normally, and improvise as things went on. Dangerous as that was, it actually made things a lot more interesting.

Luckily enough, the soldiers didn't ask questions. Seeing his uniform, they just let him pass without a word. Liquid entered the elevator with dark thoughts in mind. He had a sneaking suspicion about the guards' lenience: it was likely that there was only one entrance to the underground levels, which made them all the more dangerous. The problem wasn't to get in, but to get out. Many facilities were built that way. Liquid was almost sure this was one of them.

The elevator panel showed it went two levels underground. Liquid was unsure as to which one push; in the end he decided to go to the lowest one. He figured it would be the most secure and therefore most likely to store the Optic Disc. When the doors opened again he was two levels underground.

There was a dark corridor in front of him. Liquid stepped out of the elevator and took a look around. There were no doors at the sides, and only one camera on top of him. Liquid didn't bother hiding, as he was dressed in a guard's uniform after all. Advancing quietly, Liquid finally got to the end of the corridor. There were two paths in front of him. Liquid had come from the east; the corridor continued to the west, ending in another elevator. That elevator probably came from the western hangar. But there was another way. The corridor also went north, covering a few dozens of feet before ending in a closed door.

Liquid smirked. He was sure: this had to be the place where Amur Tiger kept the data stolen from the CIA. Having seen the labs above, he was pretty sure said data had something to do with genetics. Maybe it was a biological weapon, maybe it was gene therapy.

That didn't matter now, though. He had to recover that disc and get out of there as soon as possible. Liquid walked quietly with his gun firmly held in his hands, still playing the role of a sentry. He put his ear against the door and listened carefully. Yes, there were several people at the other side. It was probably another lab, but much more important than the ones in the surface. Liquid readied himself, opened the door and got inside.

'Now that's more like it,' he mused in silence. There was a large room in front of him, outfitted with computers and gene sequencers. Two towers stood in the middle of the room, which Liquid recognized to be Cray Supercomputers. Yes, it was in this place that the main research was performed, and not on the surface. That had to be some minor testing place of some sorts. Still, even though this lab was fairly big, it was far smaller than the hangars above ground. There were only five scientists here, which Liquid assumed to be the chief doctors of the place. And there were three soldiers here, guarding the place in silence.

Liquid's entrance was met with suspicion, even considering his disguise. The mercenary was not surprised.

"Hey you! Who are you?" the guard posted at the door barked, eyeing Liquid with distaste.

"I'm here under orders of Amur Tiger," Liquid said, his voice completely calm. Yet his words were fragile as best. He had gotten inside without really knowing what he would find and his lack of an excuse to be here was the result.

"I didn't receive any reports on a new sentry," the man said sternly. He grunted when he realized that no answer was coming. He addressed Liquid with a harsh tone "What's your name, soldier?"

Liquid kept very quiet. He didn't have a name to say, but that was okay with him. His sharp mind had already made several plans as to what to do now. Three simple soldiers were no match for him.

"I asked you what your name is!"

Liquid stood still. The other two soldiers were closing in, just as he wanted...

Now. The three sentries were standing in front of him, one on his left, one in front of him and one on his right, their guns ready. Liquid moved faster than they could blink. Grabbing the muzzle of the guard on his left, he redirected his gun to the guard in front of him, causing the first guard to kill his comrade unintentionally. At the same time, he used his right leg to trap the third guard's gun under his knee. Not wasting time with needless hesitation, Liquid drew his Desert Eagle and shot him in the head.

The first guard let his AK 47 fall and reached for his Glock 17 pistol, pointing it at Liquid in a flash. Liquid spun and raised his Desert Eagle with lightning like hands, and a shot ran in the lab.

The guard dropped dead in the floor, a bullet hole right between his eyebrows.

One of the scientists ran to a red panel placed in one of the walls, a terrified look on his face. Liquid guessed his intentions and shot him in his back before he could trigger the alarm. The man fell to the ground in agony.

The four remaining scientists backed off, trying to get as far from Liquid as they could. Liquid smirked under his mask. They were terrified of him. Good.

"You can tell me what I want to know," Liquid said slowly, slight mockery in his tone "Or you can join your friend right there on the floor," And with that he pointed to the scientist he had shot before. The aghast looks he received were all the response he needed.

.

.

.

Liquid left the underground lab in silence. He walked back the way he had come, turning to face the western elevator, thinking about what he now knew. The Optic Disc wasn't here, despite appearances. It was in Amur Tiger's possession, which made things easier. Still, having had to do all this for nothing was slightly irksome, much like those scientists had been. Cowardly people. He had done what was necessary to ensure the success of his mission.

Something... something called for him. Liquid turned around swiftly, watching the darkened corridors behind him with sharp eyes. He had felt watched. Something had made him feel watched. And yet, he could sense nothing. Liquid never mistrusted his instincts, but there was no one in the corridor behind him, and he had no time to lose. Shrugging it off, the lethal Snake turned around and walked to the elevator.

He was reaching the elevator when the alarms started to ring. Cursing under his breath, Liquid rushed to call the elevator and get out of the scene. His disguise was good, but it would never withstand a thorough search. He was fervently calling for the elevator when he noticed that it was locked on the surface. Once the alarms rang, the elevator would be called to the surface so that the intruders underground were trapped with no way to escape. It was a smart thing to do, especially considering that the elevator would only get down to get assault teams his way.

Liquid cursed and decided to go for drastic measures. Knowing he had seconds at best, he used all his might into prying the closed door open. And yet he only managed to open a small dent with his fingers before having to let go. Adrenaline surged through his body, as the alarms rang loudly and everything became a blur. He could have sworn he heard footsteps back in the northern corridor; maybe the attack teams were already there. Liquid opened the doors again and used the muzzle of his AK 47 to keep them open; he then used the gun as a lever to create a bigger opening, large enough for him to pass. As soon as he opened the doors he looked upwards. The elevator was descending already. Then he looked downwards and was surprised by what he saw.

There weren't two underground levels as he had thought. Even if the elevator only marked two of them, there was a third basement level. Liquid was seeing that right now; the elevator wires went down several meters, coming to the darkened floor below.

'A secret basement floor...' Liquid's mind mused in an instant. And that instant was all he needed. He made his choice.

Jumping on the wires, Liquid descended through the hole. He prayed that the elevator was heading towards the second underground level, for if it was going to the third he was as good as dead. He moved swiftly and soon he was on the floor, just in front of a door that led him to the third and most secret underground level. The elevator stopped at the second floor, luckily for him. Using his AK 47 as a lever again, Liquid opened the doors and moved forward to the unknown. He had a mission to complete, and something told him that he had just found the right path to take.

**Peninsula de Yucatan**

**8/10/96**

**2120 Hs.**

**Inside the Eastern Hangar**

"What the hell," Snake muttered "Master... this looks like a genetic laboratory..."

"A genetic laboratory?" Master wondered aloud, stunned "Are you completely sure of that, Snake?"

"No doubt about it," Snake confirmed "It reminds me of FOXHOUND's labs."

"That must be it..." Master muttered under his breath.

"What do you mean?" Snake's sharp senses had picked up on Miller's low tone.

"The data Amur Tiger stole," Miller explained "I'm sure it has something to do with this. Possibly something related with the

Human Genome research... I wouldn't be surprised if human testing was being performed here."

"What the hell is this place..." Snake grunted "And what is that Optic Disc Amur Tiger stole?"

"I don't know, Snake," Master said sincerely "I have no idea of the researches performed by the CIA or the Government. I'll try to find out as much as I can, but as of now you still have a mission to complete. According to our Intel and satellite images, there are lower floors under those hangars. Head to the basement, Snake. It might be the most secure place in there, which makes it the most likely to find the Disc you are looking for. There should be an elevator around there. Find it."

The hangar was occupied by scientists and some soldiers guarding the entry and exit points. The good thing was that the scientists were completely focused on their tasks, which made it easy for Snake to move around, always careful to avoid the center of the big room. He moved swiftly through the shadows and boxes, and finally spotted the elevator Miller had referred to. It was guarded by two soldiers that stood completely still.

In a place like this, even a short fight would get everyone's attention and send the entire base into alert. Snake hid behind several boxes covered in shadows and knocked his right hand against them. That was enough to get one of the sentries' attention. The guard moved to check the source of the sound, and before he knew it he was in a classic chokehold, that kept blood from reaching his brain. He was unconscious in a matter of seconds.

Snake didn't waste time. He hid the body as best as he could and shot his silenced Beretta over the other guard's neck. The man dropped unconscious to the floor. Snake sighed and took his only chance. Stepping out in plain sight, he walked in front of the elevator and called it with the touch of a button. He knew it was all over if one of the scientists raised his head and looked his way...

The elevator doors opened softly and Snake got inside, dragging the last guard's body with him, so that no one would see it lying down in the hangar's floor. The doors closed then, ending the threat of being seen at last. Snake didn't even allow himself a relieved sigh. His mind and body were in constant alert, making plans every second, watching and deciding. His plan was to get in undetected. Should he be discovered, he wouldn't hesitate in fighting and killing. He never hesitated. It was Master himself that had taught that to him.

"I see you are inside the elevator, Snake," Master said "What's your status?"

"Could be better," Snake grunted "I have an unconscious guard next to me and this elevator goes down two levels. I'm not sure where to start."

"Go for the lowest level, Snake," Master advised "Move always with the elevator nearby, and keep a clear escape route. The disc should be there."

The doors opened and Snake got out of the elevator. There was a dark, empty corridor in front of him, guarded only by a camera placed just outside the elevator. Snake walked silently through the empty corridor, using the dim lights to his advantage and deftly avoiding the camera's eyes, using the blind spots to get past. There were two paths in front of him now, one that led to the east - probably to the eastern hangar - and one that led north. Snake decided to go north.

Just when he was about to move out of cover, a guard came out of the north corridor. Strangely enough, the man was carrying a Desert Eagle with his AK 47 on his back. Snake crouched in the shadows and let him pass. It wouldn't do to let himself be seen right in the middle of the enemy's base. The guard left for the eastern corridor. Snake moved in complete silence. He had just walked a couple of feet to the north corridor when the guard turned around in the blink of an eye. Pressing his body against the wall and sticking to the shadows, Snake held his breath and waited; his body felt like a spring, ready to jump into action, and yet he didn't make a sound. Not even the most sensitive of animals could have heard him.

The guard stood there for some time, and finally turned around and left. Snake suppressed a sigh and walked to the end of the corridor. A single door was there; Snake readied his gun and got inside. And he was left completely shocked by what he saw.

"What the hell..."

He had a complete massacre in front of his eyes. Eight bloody corpses, five of them scientists and three guards just like he had dealt with when sneaking in. The sight was horrible, as it was clear that while the guards had been killed in a fight the scientists had been murdered in cold blood, even though it was obvious that they were completely incapable of putting up any kind of resistance.

"Snake, what's wrong!" Master asked quickly, a taint of dread in his voice.

"Master, the scientists... they're all dead."

"What? They are dead?" Master was baffled "Do you think they were executed by Tiger's men?"

"No," Snake shook his head "Whoever did this, it wasn't on Tiger's side. Three guards were killed too, and there are signs that there was a fight here..." Snake's eyes glistened as he recalled the guard he had seen before, the one carrying the Desert Eagle "Master, I think there's another spy here besides me, and looks like he is really good too..."

A small whimper caught Snake's attention. His gun was ready in an instant, pointed at the source by sheer instinct, even before knowing what that source was. And yet Snake was stunned when he saw the cause of the noise. One of the scientists was alive after all, whimpering softly, trying to reach something with his hand, agony written all over his face. Snake ran towards the dying man just before noticing what he was reaching for. And he felt like cursing very loudly then. Because the scientist had shed his last breath in pressing the alarm button on the wall.

"Damn!"

"Snake, get out of there now!" Master said. Even if he didn't consider Snake's opinion of another spy in the complex, now was not the time for the mercenary to look for the Optic Disc "Get to the elevator and leave that floor at once!"

Snake didn't need to hear it twice. Turning around, he left the lab behind him and ran back to where he came from, trying to reach the elevator and escape the floor as soon as possible. But as he came close he saw that the elevator was already descending, carrying reinforcements to subdue the intruder. Snake cursed and turned around. There was only one chance of escape, or else he would be stuck down here and would have to fight his way out. He ran as fast as he could towards the western corridor, seeing now that it led to another elevator. The door was slightly open; Snake rushed towards it. But he knew that path was closed to him a second later, just as the elevator came down too.

This left him with no choice. Snake was completely trapped.

"Snake, with both elevators coming your way, there's no way out for you now..."

"Looks like I'll have to stand my ground and fight," Snake said firmly, displaying that calmness that was deeply printed in his character. Had the situation been less dire, Master would have been impressed at the man's courage when facing a no win situation "I'll retreat to the lab. It's the only place where I'll be able to defend myself."

"Right," Master agreed "Stand your ground and wait for a chance to escape. As soon as you get it, move fast and get out of there!"

Snake quickly retreated back to the labs. There was no way for him to defend himself in the corridors, not when he was to be attacked from both sides. He could hear the attack teams coming his way. He quickly took cover in the center of the room, behind one of the huge Cray Supercomputers, drew his best handgun, his SOCOM Mk 23, and readied himself for a gruelling fight.

The door to the lab opened and five soldiers rushed in, all armed with AK 47's and grenades.

Two of them were dead before even knowing what was wrong. The remaining three quickly returned fire, forcing Snake to take cover behind the huge supercomputer.

"Take positions!" the leader ordered to his subordinates. But there was no place for them to hide behind. They were in the open, and their only advantage was their superior firepower. Behind the supercomputer, Snake smirked. Back on the battlefield. He didn't do this for the money; he did it because he was addicted to the fighting, to the killing. Cheating death on the battlefield; that was the only way he felt truly alive. He poked and fired again, not wasting any time. One of the soldiers fell dead. The remaining two tried to regroup, but there was nowhere to go to. They had rushed into a fight not expecting to find this kind of resistance, and now they were left with no escape route. A precise shot took the leader's life, but Snake was unable to finish the last soldier before the doors opened and five new guards rushed in. Snake knew he was totally outmatched now; two of them had shields, and the remaining four took cover behind them, blindly firing their AK 47's. One of them shouted a warning to his comrades before throwing a grenade at Snake. The mercenary was forced out of cover, trying to put as much distance between the grenade and himself. A loud explosion shook the underground lab, throwing shrapnel and glass everywhere. Snake used the lapse in enemy fire to hide behind the second Cray Supercomputer. Three soldiers came looking for him, trying to overpower him and end the fight quickly with close quarters fighting. But Snake was not to be so easily beaten. He sheathed his Mk 23 and drew his Combat Knife and FiveseveN pistol. The handgun was an experimental prototype: it was made to fire piercing bullets. Even if he liked his SOCOM pistol better, Snake realized there was no better choice against the soldiers with shields.

He didn't give them time to react. There was simply no one faster than Solid Snake when it came down to close quarters combat in the entire world. Snake leapt and used a CQC hold on the nearest soldier, quickly using him as a human shield between him and the remaining two attackers. They hesitated, not wanting to shoot their comrade; that small flicker of doubt was all Snake needed: he quickly fired twice, killing them instantly.

Realizing that their charge was a complete suicide, the leader of the soldiers quickly ordered them to retreat to the door, with the two soldiers with shields serving as cover. But Snake had anticipated that tactic, which was why he had drawn his FiveseveN. Not even the reinforced shields were able to protect the soldiers from his bullets. Using the element of surprise to his advantage, Snake closed in on them while still holding his human shield, opening fire with his special handgun. The two soldiers went down, and Snake made a quick movement, breaking the guard's neck and rushing the leader, that was the only one standing after his attack. The man was so horrified after seeing the carnage his enemy had created that he didn't react in time. He quickly found himself in the floor, victim of an expertly performed takedown. His AK 47 fell to pieces in front of him, no doubt after the intruder had disarmed it. Never before he had thought he would find such a warrior; this foe neared the inhuman in his fighting capacities. He quickly stood up and reached for his knife, but a quick blow to the back of his head kept him from doing anything. Everything went black and he passed out.

Snake stood still for a second, panting. He had done it, he had beaten all the enemy soldiers. Knowing that there was no time to loose, he reached for the lab's door.

"Now's your chance, Snake!" Master said "Get out of there now, before more reinforcements arrive!"

Snake didn't need to hear it twice. He exited the lab and moved swiftly through the darkened corridors. He knew that both elevators would only come down to bring soldiers to this level, but that was fine with him now. He had a plan. He ran like the wind towards the eastern elevator.

The elevator doors opened and five soldiers rushed out, all of them heavily armoured, carrying shields and FP 90 piercing rifles. Their heads were covered by helmets; this was a heavy strike team, one that outmatched anything Snake had faced before on the base. Snake had encountered soldiers like this in Outer Heaven; this kind of assault team was far deadlier than a SWAT unit. The five soldiers moved fast but methodically, marching quickly towards the lab.

Behind them, a shadow disentangled itself from the ceiling. Snake had shot the camera at the elevator doors, and then had put his parkour training to use, placing his hands and feet on the walls, supporting his weight and placing his body against the ceiling. The soldiers had gone right past him without suspecting a thing.

Seeing the soldiers turn to the north and head to the lab, Snake turned around to use the elevator and escape.

SMACK!

A vicious kick caught him by surprise and send him stumbling to the floor. It was in that instant that Snake saw his mistake. There hadn't been five soldiers on the elevator. There had been six.

Rolling swiftly, Snake regained his footing and drew his Combat Knife and FiveseveN, or at least tried to. Because his attacker moved like lightning, overpowering and disarming him with a Krav Maga move. Snake fell to the floor, his back causing a dull thud as it made contact with the ground. Even though he had been stunned by the kick and completely caught by surprise, Snake couldn't help but marvel at the attacker's dexterity. It was one of the fastest foes he had faced. He rolled and attempted to draw his Mk 23 when a harsh voice halted:

"Freeze."

And Snake knew he was beaten.

The strike team had returned, all of them pointing their rifles at Snake, standing at a cautious twenty feet distance. Caught in the open, Snake knew there was no way for him to outmatch them. He threw his MK 23 to the floor in silence. Looking up, Snake glanced at the man that had ambushed him.

He was tall, almost as tall as Snake. Snake guessed he was nearing thirty years old, which made him rather young. Still, a look at his eyes told him that he was facing a hardened veteran; the eyes of a killer, of a man that had seen many wars already was unmistakable to him. The man had dark brown hair and a harsh face that looked vaguely familiar to Snake. He was sure he had never seen this man before, but he reminded him of someone. Dressed in a dark blue shirt and camo pants, the man's body was visible enough to reveal that he was in top physical shape. He carried several guns and a Combat Knife in his right calf.

"The legendary Solid Snake," the man said in a low tone. It was due to his extreme coldness that Snake was kept from gasping in surprise. He couldn't understand how he had been identified since he had worn a balaclava the whole time. The fact that this man knew about him in the present circumstances was unsettling. But Snake didn't have time to ponder about that now "You have performed impressively. To think that you almost made it out of here, not to mention how you have just killed two strike teams all by yourself... you really live up to your legend."

"Who are you?" Snake asked. This man clearly had a tendency to talk; he had revealed many things already, just with a couple of phrases; maybe he would reveal some more.

"Cobra," the man said "My name is Cobra. I am Amur Tiger's bodyguard."

"I never thought I'd ever see a FOXHOUND member need a bodyguard," Snake said simply. Some of the soldiers behind him stiffened at the sound of his voice. The shock of seeing all their comrades dead was taking its toll on them already; having to face the man that had done it was even worse.

Cobra chuckled before making a slight hand gesture. One of the soldiers moved fast and hit the back of Snake's head with the butt of his rifle. Snake stumbled a bit before collapsing. He was Amur Tiger's prisoner now.

Cobra watched Snake's unconscious form with a pensive look on his face "It's a shame we won't get to fight one another any time soon," he muttered "But we'll have a lot of talks in the future. I look forward to that, Solid Snake."

**In some underground facility in Langley**

**8/10/96**

**2115 Hs.**

Sitting in the dark, two men reviewed what had happened so far.

"Liquid is performing impressively. He already has information on the Optic Disc's whereabouts and on top of that he is free from suspicion now; everyone thinks that Solid was the one that killed all the sentries and scientists. He's on his way to Amur Tiger as we speak: that confrontation will be something worth seeing, I'm sure."

"It seems Solid Snake isn't as good as we had previously thought, then."

"I wouldn't say that yet. We are recording all his codec talks with McDonnell Miller. Unlike Liquid, Solid Snake already knows he is not the only spy on the complex. It won't be long before he escapes his cell, and when he does, he is going to be far more careful than Liquid..."

.

.

.

**Author Notes 2:** And so does Chapter 2 end. It was a bit complicated to write, specially the parts where Solid and Liquid came close to find one another. To tell you the truth, I was unsure as to how to write about that; I didn't know if switching points of view constantly was better than what I did in the end. I figured writing about each brother's doings separately was easier to understand, so I went through with that.

Next chapter deals with how Liquid approaches his objective, and what happens to Solid now that he is imprisoned. Amur Tiger makes his appearance then, as well as some others characters. I'll try to update as soon as I can. If there's something you'd like to say, leave a review and tell me what you think of this. I take everything into account when writing new chapters.

Many thanks for reading.

Devil Boss


End file.
